Nothing Is What He Thought
by Nonnie
Summary: Horatio finds one fateful day that nothing is as he thought. Chapter 10 is new as of November 22nd.
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer - I don't own the Miami characters - sadly, they belong to Jerry Bruckheimer and CBS. I do own Tim's wife and son, though and any other characters I might introduce as this little story progresses.

Rating - PG

Summary - Horatio finds one day that nothing is as he thought it was. Although some characters named can be found in my other stories, this one is completely independent of anything else and stands alone.

A/N - I've been gone a _long_ while, and MAN is it good to be back! It's hard to find any time for writing when you're working fifteen and sixteen hour days. I've finally wrapped my head around my new job and this story just wouldn't leave me alone. Every time I watch an episode that doesn't feature my beloved Speed, I find something else to write about.

Now that I'm back to writing, soon I'll be back to reviewing! Tessa, Nathalie, I've missed you guys!!!!!!

* * *

Horatio strode the halls of the Miami Dade Police Crime Lab - his blue eyes focused and calm, taking in the sights and sounds of the morning shift beginning another day that surrounded him.

"Lieutenant Caine?"

He stopped and turned to face the department receptionist. "Yes, Marnie?" he asked with a slight smile.

"There's a woman here to see you," the petite brunette replied. "Says her name is Leanna Speedle."

Horatio's breath caught in his throat at the name. "Leanna?" he asked quietly.

"Yes, sir," Maria said with a nod. "She's in your office."

He blinked twice in quick succession. "Thank you," he said automatically, quickening his step in the direction of his office - desperately fighting the urge to run.

Calleigh fell into step beside him. "Good morning," she said in her usually sweet Southern drawl. "I have those ballistics reports for you."

He hadn't heard a word she'd said, but didn't want to admit it. "Uh-huh," he muttered, finally arriving at his office. He glanced down at the woman who'd stepped into the #2 spot after Tim Speedle's death and smiled softly. "I have a meeting, but I'll find you right after."

"Okay," she said, returning his smile. He watched for a moment as she turned on her heels and started back down the hallway, then placed his hand on the doorknob and took a deep breath.

He opened it slowly, finding a woman he hadn't seen in five years standing in his office. She turned to face him, and Horatio took in the sight of her - the darker hair, the softer figure, the tiny lines framing her bright green eyes.

"Horatio," she said, her voice no louder than a whisper.

"Leanna," he answered plainly. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

Leanna closed her eyes and tilted her head down toward the floor. "It's Tim."

He shifted his weight uncomfortably from one foot to the other, processing Leanna's words. "Leanna," he replied with a slight cock of his head, "Tim's been dead for five years."

Leanna shook her head softly and reached into her handbag. She handed him the picture of a family - he recognized Leanna's image immediately. Beside her was a small boy - the mirror image of his beloved friend who'd died so unnecessarily in a downtown jewelry store. Leanna smiled as she glanced at the picture Horatio now held like a bomb. "That's our son, Nicholas," she explained. "He's three years old."

Horatio's gaze continued to the left side of the picture, where a handsomeman with a scruffy beard and dark eyes smiled back at him. Tim.

He swallowed hard, fighting back the tears in his eyes as Leanna continued. "This picture was taken three months ago, at a park down the street from our home in New Orleans." She paused, letting the news sink in. She laid a hand on Horatio's shoulder and he sank onto the brown leather couch. She sat beside him and took one of his hands in her own.

"Tim's not dead, Horatio," she said quietly. "But he's missing, and I need your help."

TBC...


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer - I don't own the Miami characters - sadly, they belong to Jerry Bruckheimer and CBS. I do own Tim's wife and son, though and any other characters I might introduce as this little story progresses.

Rating - PG

Summary - Horatio finds one day that nothing is as he thought it was.

A/N - I've been gone a long while, and MAN is it good to be back! It's hard to find any time for writing when you're working fifteen and sixteen hour days. I've finally wrapped my head around my new job and this story just wouldn't leave me alone. Every time I watch an episode that doesn't feature my beloved Speed, I find something else to write about.

* * *

"Tim's not dead, but he's missing and I need your help." 

Leanna's words echoed over and over in his head. It simply wasn't possible. He'd been there, on the floor, holding Tim's hand when he died. There was no possible way he was alive - and yet, in his hand - irrefutable proof.

Horatio stared at her and shook his head in utter disbelief. His gaze fell once again to the picture he still held in his hand. "I don't understand," he said, his voice shaky with emotion.

Leanna Speedle tightened her grip on his hand and began to explain. "Tim didn't die in that jewelry store, Horatio," she said softly.

"He did, Leanna, I was there," Horatio argued.

Leanna regarded Tim's friend and former boss with sad eyes. "If he could have told anyone, Horatio, it would have been you."

"Told me what?" he demanded forcefully.

Leanna sighed and leaned back against the soft leather of the couch. "Do you remember the Bruckson case that Tim had wrapped shortly before you took over the lab?"

Horatio nodded and Leanna continued. "Martin Bruckson lost millions of dollars, some legit, some not, when the verdict was handed down. He made some vague threats against Tim that no one took seriously at the time. But, the longer he was in jail - the more specific the threats. It became obvious that someone was following Tim - taking pictures of him, of us. I went to my bosses immediately. But, before anything could be done, I was kidnapped."

Confusion furrowed Horatio's brow. That wasn't the way he remembered it. Leanna Clark hadn't been kidnapped - she'd broken up with Tim, leaving him devastated. And yet, somehow, pieces began fitting together in his mind. He let her continue, uninterrupted, afraid that if she stopped speaking for even a moment, he'd wake up - the conversation a dream - Tim still dead.

"I didn't leave Tim, that was just the story the feds came up with to explain my sudden 'absence'. Bruckson had me kidnapped," she said plainly, the words connecting more of the puzzle pieces in Horatio's brain. It all made sense now - Tim's agitation, his lack of concentration - and why Leanna hadn't attended the funeral.

"The feds began the preparations for Tim to go into witness protection immediately. He was going, H, with or without me."

Horatio sighed. "But, since you're a federal agent, it was in their best interest to find you?"

Leanna smiled softly. "Something like that. Everyone knew Bruckson was behind the kidnapping, but we couldn't prove it. My supervisor allowed my partner to go to Bruckson, as a mole. Thomas said that he was willing to hand Tim over, in exchange for my return."

"Oh my God," Horatio groaned and ran a hand through his auburn hair. He stood and planted his hands firmly on his hips. "It was all a setup. The last five years of my life have been a lie," he said angrily.

"Horatio," Leanna responded, nearly leaping to her feet. "We had to do this. It was the only way to keep him safe."

"But I **_saw_** him," Horatio nearly screamed. "I was there, Leanna, leaning over him, begging him to hang on when he died."

Tears fell from Leanna's emerald green eyes and she brushed them away with the back of her hand. "I know, H," she said quietly, "Tim told me all about it. He remembers every millisecond of that moment. The fear and the knowing in your eyes, how your voice cracked..."

"STOP!" Horatio demanded, yanking his arm away from her and stepping back behind his desk.

"Horatio?" Leanna questioned.

"I said STOP!" he repeated, swallowing hard and staring at the woman who he had believed for so long had broken his protege's heart. He'd never forgiven Leanna for leaving Tim. He firmly believed _she_ was the reason Tim had stopped caring enough to clean his gun - _again_. And yet, here she was, telling him that the dreams he'd had almost every night for five years were true - his friend was alive.

A knock on the door brought Horatio back to reality. "Yeah."

Alexx entered the office, her nose stuck into a thick file. "Horatio," she said in her teasing tone, "how many times have I begged you not to write and walk at the same time? I can't read your handwriting." She glanced up to find the lieutenant starting past her - seemingly into thin air. She followed Horatio's gaze. "Lea?" she asked quietly, swallowing hard and backing toward the door, as if she'd seen a ghost.

"Hello, Alexx," she answered, her voice as quiet and unsure as the medical examiner's. "It's good to see you again."

Alexx's chocolate eyes darted between Horatio's and the woman who'd broken her beloved Timmy's heart. "What the hell is going on here?" she demanded angrily.

"Alexx," Horatio said slowly and deliberately, "I have reason to believe that Tim is alive."

She stumbled back toward the couch, color creeping out of her face, incredulously shaking her head. "No," she said quietly, repeatingthe single wordover and over. Horatio sat down beside her, tracing imaginary circles on her back to calm her.

Leanna knelt down in front of her, taking Alexx's hands in her own. "He loves you so much, Alexx. He's told Nicholas all about you. He even refused to name godparents for Nick, because he wanted you to be the godmother."

"Who is Nick?" Alexx asked with tears in her eyes.

"Their son," Horatio said gently, placing the photograph in her hands. Alexx sucked in a gasp and traced Tim's features with her fingertip. "Timmy," she said softly as the tears spilled down her cheeks.

"Where is he?" she asked sometime later, looking up at Leanna with tired and worried eyes.

Leanna smiled softly. "We've been living in New Orleans under the name of Spears. Tim is Tony and I'm Lori. He manages the FBI crime lab there. Alexx, he's been missing for two days."

Alexx shook her head and turned to Horatio. "You're going, right? To help Leanna?" Horatio opened his mouth to argue, but the feat in Alexx's eyes stopped him cold. "I **_can't _**lose him again, Horatio," she pleaded, taking his hands in hers. "**_Please_**."

TBC....


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer - I don't own the Miami characters - sadly, they belong to Jerry Bruckheimer and CBS. I do own Tim's wife and son, though and any other characters I might introduce as this little story progresses.

Rating - PG

Summary - Horatio finds one day that nothing is as he thought it was.

A/N - I've been gone a long while, and MAN is it good to be back! It's hard to find any time for writing when you're working fifteen and sixteen hour days. I've finally wrapped my head around my new job and this story just wouldn't leave me alone. Every time I watch an episode that doesn't feature my beloved Speed, I find something else to write about.

* * *

It was surreal. Horatio had been to New Orleans many times before. He'd met Calleigh here - so very many years ago now. This city had changed the course of his life once before, and he feared it was going to do so again.

Leanna chatted absent-mindedly as she maneuvered her Jeep through the interstate system. Horatio nodded every so often, listening only half-heartedly to her.

"We're almost there," she said, guiding the vehicle down on off-ramp and onto a thoroughfare. He began paying attention, charting in his mind the turns Leanna took into a subdivision of large, well-maintained homes.

His brow furrowed in utter confusion and he almost laughed. The Tim Speedle he had known and loved would not have been caught dead living in a neighborhood like this - his taste was far too modern for the traditionally styled homes.

"What?" Leanna asked curiously, acknowledging his confusion.

"I just didn't expect..." Horatio let the thought trail off without completion as Leanna pulled into the driveway of a large two-story red brick home. In his wildest dreams, he never would have chosen this house as the Speedles'. She pressed a button on her visor to raise the garage door.

"I chose the house, in case your wondering," Leanna said with a slight smirk.

Horatio's eyes went wide and a gasp caught in his throat at the sight of a midnight blue Ducati motorcycle in the third stall of the garage. Tim's trademark black helmet hung precariously from one of the handles.

"And he chose that," she added, sliding down off the leather seat.

"MMMMOOOOOOMMMMMYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Horatio and Leanna turned instantly to find an ebony haired little boy racing up the driveway toward them. Leanna dropped to her knees immediately, grinning and holding her arms open wide as Nicholas raced into them. "Hello, my beautiful boy," she cooed, peppering his face with tiny kisses.

"Good God," a petite blonde who reminded Horatio of Calleigh gasped, bending over at the waist to catch her breath. "Lori, honey," she said with a thick Southern drawl, "you know I would never, ever let him run across the street, but he took off like a bat out of hell from the backyard. Kid's got ESP or something, I swear," she added, finally regarding Horatio with a nod and toothy grin.

"Lori," the woman said sweetly, never taking her eyes from Horatio's, "who might this handsome fellow be?"

Leanna laughed and stood, collecting Nicholas into her arms. "Horatio Caine, I'd like you to meet my neighbor and friend, Shelby Collins. Shelby, this is Horatio. He's a friend of mine and Tony's."

Horatio took her extended hand in his and pressed a small kiss onto it. Shelby's bright blue eyes lit up. "My, my, handsome and chivalrous. Dangerous combination."

"It can be," Horatio grinned.

Leanna rolled her eyes and began making her way into the house. "Were you a good boy for Aunt Shelby?" she asked Nicholas.

"He was a doll," Shelby drawled before Nicholas could answer his mother. "Lord, he always is, never a lick of trouble." She turned her attention back to Horatio. "So, how long will you be visiting us, Mr. Caine?"

He smiled softly. Shelby Collins was laying it on thick, but he couldn't help but be charmed by the Southern bell. She reminded him too much of Calleigh. "As long as my work keeps me here," he answered. "And, please, call me Horatio."

"My, my," was her only response as the group made their way into the kitchen. Horatio could feel Tim in this room. Modern, stainless steel appliances, restaurant quality stove, granite counter tops, professional cookware hanging from a rack above the island. This was Tim Speedle's room. He could almost see Tim bustling around, perfecting one of his amazing pasta creations.

Shelby caught a glimpse of the time from the clock on the microwave and sighed. "Gotta go," she said wistfully, "second shift starts in about two minutes."

"Second shift?" Horatio asked curiously.

"My three kids will be getting off the school bus very soon, and I need to go knock back a little Mommy medication before they invade," she explained with a wave of her hand.

He laughed. She could talk about "mommy medication" all she wanted, but it was obvious from the glint in her eye that Shelby Collins was a fantastic mother.

She kissed Leanna gently on the cheek and ruffled Nicholas's hair with her fingers. "Nick has helping Aunt Shelby make lasagna today. Can I count on the three of you for dinner?"

"What can I bring?" Leanna asked.

"That handsome fella would be a good start," Shelby answered with a wink in Horatio's direction. "I'll see you all at 6."

"I think she likes you," Leanna said with a bright grin after checking to make sure Shelby was gone.

Horatio laughed. "I think she just might."

"Shelby's great," Leanna sighed, opening the refrigerator and taking out a bottle of blue juice. She sat Nicholas on the counter and twisted the top off. The three-year old accepted it without a word. "She's been going through a rough divorce, but you'd never know it to talk to her. She's always positive."

"She didn't mention Tim," Horatio mused.

"She thinks he's working out of Washington for a few weeks. I told her it was all very last minute, very hush-hush. Her soon to be ex-husband works for the government, so she didn't think anything about it," Leanna explained.

"Mommy?" Nicholas asked, taking a quick sip of his juice, "who dat?" He pointed a chubby finger at Horatio.

"That, Nicholas," Leanna answered, running her fingers through his unruly curls, "is your Uncle Horatio."

"Ray-see-oh?" he echoed in a slight Southern twang.

"Hi, Nick," Horatio said, flashing his most child-friendly grin and striding over to where Nicholas still sat on the counter. "I've known your Mommy and Daddy for a very long time."

"I no know you," Nicholas said with a pout, hiding his face against the soft fleece of Leanna's jacket.

Definitely his father's son, Horatio surmised, trustful of no one. "Well," he said softly, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small candy bar. Nicholas' chocolate eyes brightened. "I think we are going to be fast friends."

Nicholas grinned - and Horatio's heart skipped a beat. It was the same lop-sided grin his father had. The boy accepted the candy from Horatio and quickly handed it to Leanna for opening.

Leanna shook her head. "I really shouldn't let him have candy this late in the afternoon, but he'll run it all off at Shelby's tonight." Nicholas impatiently kicked his feet against the light oak drawers as Leanna unwrapped the candy. She handed it to him and Nick devoured it in three bites.

"Why don't we get you settled in?" Leanna asked with a sigh. "It may be the last peace you get for the day once Shelby gets ahold of you again."

TBC...


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer - I don't own the Miami characters - sadly, they belong to Jerry Bruckheimer and CBS. I do own Tim's wife and son, though and any other characters I might introduce as this little story progresses.

Rating - PG

Summary - Horatio finds one day that nothing is as he thought it was.

* * *

Horatio woke that night to the unsettling feeling that he wasn't alone. A tiny sliver of light through the ivory curtains illuminated a figure sitting in the armchair beside the window. Horatio reached beneath his pillow for his gun.

"Shelby's lasagna isn't half as good as mine. You and I both know it."

He recognized the voice immediately, but kept one hand on his gun as he sat up and reached for the bedside lamp. The room was suddenly bathed in a soft amber glow, and both blinked against the intrusion of light.

His ever-present beard was overgrown, his dark, curly hair in desperate need of cropping. There were fine lines around his eyes, matching Leanna's, and tiny sprigs of gray at his temples that hadn't been there five years ago. But the eyes were exactly the same. Irises the color of strong, finely brewed coffee that only darkened when he was angry or frustrated. Eyes that had the ability to boar a hole straight into one's soul.

"I don't remember. It's been five years since I've eaten your lasagna," Horatio smirked.

"Fair enough."

"Why are you here?" Horatio questioned. "Leanna's convinced you've been kidnapped."

"I left to protect her and Nicholas," Tim said flatly. Horatio was caught off guard by the lack of emotion in the younger man's voice.

"Care to explain?"

One corner of Tim's mouth curled up in his version of a smile. "I'm glad you're here, H. My family is safe with you."

"Your family," Horatio responded, glaring at Tim over the bridge of his nose, "would be safer if you'd tell me what's going on."

The smile spread to the other side of Tim's fac e. "I've got it under control."

Horatio scoffed and shook his head. "I don't think I'd be here if that was the case, Speed."

"I haven't completely forgotten how to do this, H," Tim countered.

"Really?" Horatio asked sarcastically.

"I had a great teacher," Speed answered. "Leanna did exactly what she was supposed to do. She brought you here."

"You brought me here to protect your family?" Horatio demanded. "So, who, exactly, is going to protect you?"

Tim broke eye contact for the first time since Horatio flipped on the light and he swallowed - hard - a motion not lost on Horatio's finely trained eye.

"What you're doing," Horatio surmised aloud, "isn't exactly legal, is it?"

"It's riding the line pretty hard, H," Tim conceded.

"Speed," Horatio sighed with a disappointed shake of his head.

"It's under control, Boss."

"For how long, Speed?" Horatio asked.

"This life isn't what I want for my family."

"So let me help you," Horatio nearly begged.

"No," Tim said forcefully. His tone defied argument, but Horatio was undeterred.

"Speed."

"I can't..." his voice trailed off and Horatio could see Tim's eyes welling up with tears. "I can't live the rest of my life like this."

"Like what?" Horatio questioned.

"The hiding, the stories, the lies. We haven't seen our parents in five years. Leanna still cries almost every day, thinking about what Nicholas is missing out on. He doesn't have grandparents, he doesn't have aunts and uncles, he doesn't have godparents, H. And worst of all, he doesn't have you."

Horatio shook his head softly. "I've met him, Speed, he's a beautiful child."

"He's the greatest thing I've ever done," Tim smiled brightly, "Besides marrying his mother," he added with a laugh.

"Of course," Horatio returned the smile before finally addressing the 'pink elephant' in the room. "Why me, Speed? Why not the feds, why not Eric?"

"Because with you, saying I have to protect my family is like preaching to the choir," Tim answered.

Horatio chuckled. "Someone has been married a Southerner a little too long, Speed."

Tim grinned. "I have an incurable addiction to Southern women. And no desire to go into treatment for it."

"Red heads, in particular," Horatio added.

Tim's smile turned wistful. "I miss that auburn hair, H. She's a gorgeous brunette, but, God..."

Horatio sighed. "I remember."

Tim sat up straight in the chair and sighed. "My name is Tim Speedle. My wife is Leanna. I can't live the rest of my life calling her Lori. I have to remind myself every single day that when my wife calls me Tony, she hasn't forgotten my name."

"I can only imagine, Speed."

Tim slumped again and rested his head on the back of the chair.

"I just want you to know," Horatio continued, "that I'm here under Alexx's orders to get you back in one piece."

"And if that means blurring the lines of the law?" Tim questioned.

Horatio sighed. "I don't have to be Horatio Caine, Miami Dade Police Lieutenant. I could just be, Horatio - your friend."

Tim let out a deep breath and closed his eyes. "Thanks." His eyes opened and re-focused on Horatio. "It's good to see you again, H."

"I want you to swear to me, Speed," Horatio's voice was nearing anger, "swear to me this won't be the last time we see each other."

"It won't H, I swear," Tim nodded.

"Alive, Speed. I can't go through that again."

Tim dropped his face toward the floor and nodded again. "I swear." He stood from the chair and sighed. "I've gotta get going," he said softly, making his way to the door. In a moment, he was gone.

TBC...


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer - I don't own the Miami characters - sadly, they belong to Jerry Bruckheimer and CBS. I do own Tim's wife and son, though and any other characters I might introduce as this little story progresses.

Rating - PG

Summary - Horatio finds one day that nothing is as he thought it was.

* * *

Horatio woke the next morning, still unsure whether his conversation with Tim had been real or imagined. He shook the sleep from his head and tugged a t-shirt over his bare torso before making his way downstairs.

Nicholas was at the breakfast table, one hand on his cereal spoon and the other on a black toy motorcycle. He was running it across the table, making revving noises between bites of Cheerios.

Leanna was leaned against the kitchen counter, her expression tense, her eyes teary, one finger tracing the words written on the small sheet of paper in her hands.

"Good morning," Horatio said softly, startling Leanna.

She stared at him – fear clouding her emerald eyes. "He was here," she said quietly, her voice trembling as her eyes returned to the paper in her hands.

"Yes," Horatio answered with a nod.

"You saw him?" she asked, her voice tinged with hurt.

"Yes," he replied.

"But…" Leanna wasn't sure what to say. Her ego was bruised and she was very confused. Why had Tim been in their home? Why had her husband taken the time to wake Horatio, but not her?

Horatio sensed her questions. "He needs my help."

Leanna crumpled onto the floor and leaned against the cabinets. "I don't understand," she said weakly.

Horatio crossed over to her and eased down beside her. "Neither do I," he said, gently taking the sheet of paper from her hands. His curiosity had gotten the better of him and he needed to know what Tim had written. In his scrawled penmanship, on a soft purple sheet of paper, his friend had written: "No matter what happens, Lea, always know that you are the love of my life. From here through the rest of eternity."

He closed his eyes and sighed. He knew Tim. He knew those words meant Tim Speedle didn't think he was coming home.

"It's like he's saying goodbye," Leanna whispered, her eyes drifting over to Nicholas.

"I think," Horatio lied, his gaze focused on her, "I think he's just reassuring you."

"He left that motorcycle for Nicholas," she said absent-mindedly, tilting her head in the direction of her son.

Horatio nod in understanding. "Leanna," he said, "I have some questions, and I need you to answer them."

"Okay," she said flatly. She didn't attempt to move from her position on the floor, so Horatio stayed beside her, mentally formulating his queries.

"What's changed over the past few weeks?" he asked first.

Leanna shrugged. "He's been more tense than usual."

"Is that all?" he questioned.

"He's been spending more time at work."

Horatio sighed. "I don't suppose there's any hope of me getting into Tim's office."

Leanna smiled softly. "I seriously doubt it."

He toyed with a loose thread on his pajama pants. "Do you know what he was working on?"

"No," she answered quickly, resting her head against the cabinet.

"How long have you been in New Orleans?" he asked.

"A year and a half," she answered quietly.

"Before that?"

"Phoenix, and before that, San Francisco," Leanna responded.

"Tell me about Tim's friends here," Horatio gently commanded.

Leanna nearly laughed. "H, you know Tim. He's not exactly a social butterfly."

"There has to be someone," he prodded.

"There _was_," Leanna answered with a nod. "He was friends with Shelby's husband Jack."

"Was?"

"They had some sort of a falling out about two months ago, right before Jack left," Leanna explained.

"Tim didn't tell you what it was about?" Horatio asked.

Leanna smiled wistfully. "He stomped around the house for a couple of days, throwing that New York attitudearound left and right, but then he seemed to get over it."

"Tell me about Jack and Shelby," he requested.

"Jack had a woman on the side. When it came out, I just assumed that Tim had found out about the affair and called Jack out on it. Shelby was devastated, and Tim has such a big heart, he completely shut Jack out after he left."

"You said Jack works for the federal government."

"Yeah," Leanna answered, finally rising from the floor. Horatio followed suit, leaning against the kitchen island while Leanna hopped onto the counter. "Jack is an FBI agent."

"He's your handler here," Horatio concluded aloud.

"Yeah," Leanna nodded. "Shelby has no idea."

"Okay, so Jack knows everything?"

"He knows what he needs to know," Leanna answered. "He knows we're in Witness Protection, he knows Tim was a criminalist somewhere, or else he wouldn't have been qualified to run the lab, but he doesn't know any real specifics."

"Nothing about Bruckson?" Horatio continued.

"Not to my knowledge," Leanna said weakly.

"Okay," Horatio sighed, pushing away from the island and planting his hands on his hips. "I think it's time to pay a visit to Mr. Collins."

TBC….


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer - I don't own the Miami characters - sadly, they belong to Jerry Bruckheimer and CBS. I do own Tim's wife and son, though and any other characters I might introduce as this little story progresses.

Rating - PG

Summary - Horatio finds one day that nothing is as he thought it was.

* * *

Tracking down Agent Jack Collins had taken nearly two days. Horatio finally resorted to speaking with Shelby when Jack's fellow agents wouldn't give him any information.

"Why are you looking for Jack?" Shelby demanded, standing in her kitchen with one hand on her hip while the other parceled out after-school snacks for her three children.

"I just have a couple of questions for him," Horatio explained with a disarming grin. "Lori told me that Jack was Tony's closest friend."

"_Was_," Shelby snickered, ruffling her youngest's blonde hair as he accepted a small paper plate from his mother. "Tony's a good man, a good husband, and he simply doesn't tolerate behavior like Jack's."

"What kind of behavior?" Horatio questioned.

Shelby grinned. "Horatio, you silly thing. Don't even stand there and pretend Lori didn't tell you about Jack's h-u-s-s-y. He's living with her, even though he claims he's not."

Horatio fought to stifle a laugh as Shelby spelled out hussy. If he hadn't already been in love with someone else, he might have been tempted by the beautiful and charming blonde. "Do you know where they are living?" he asked softly, suddenly finding the soft pattern in the kitchen tiles quite interesting.

"You underestimate me, Lieutenant," she teased, reaching past him and opening a drawer to retrieve a well-worn address book. She flipped several pages and handed him the book, adding, "You'd be amazed what kind of information is out there on the good ol' Internet."

He laughed, and shook his head. Just to the left of the tab marked "J", Shelby had written the name "Jack(ass)" and his address and cell phone number. "If I turn to the 'H' tab, will I find the girlfriend's information?" he teased back.

Shelby rolled her eyes and swatted his arm. "Now that would be a little too predictable, don't you think?"

"Mrs. Collins," he answered with another grin, "I have a feeling you are anything but predictable."

* * *

Special Agent Jack Collins opened the door to his downtown condominium. Horatio couldn't help but stare at the man before him – some might consider him handsome – early forties, athletic build, sandy blonde hair and light brown eyes. Although Jack was every bit as tall as Horatio, the lieutenant couldn't help but think that the agent somehow looked small. 

Jack's eyes were tired and bloodshot, as if he'd been up all night. At four o'clock in the afternoon, he still wore flannel pajama pants and an olive v-neck t-shirt. "Can I help you?" he asked, his voice raspy with sleep.

"Agent Collins," Horatio began, peering at Jack over the bridge of his nose, "my name is Lieutenant Horatio Caine. I'm with the Miami Dade Police Department…"

"Miami?" Jack interrupted with a frown. "You're a little out of your jurisdiction."

One corner of Horatio's lip curled into an irritated grin. "I need to ask you some questions about a friend of yours, Tony Spears."

Jack's interest was instantly peaked. He straightened from his previous position, leaning against the doorframe, and motioned with his hand. "Badge," he requested.

Horatio unclipped the badge from his belt and pressed it into Jack's open hand. Collins studied it for a moment before handing it back to Horatio and throwing the door open wider. "Come in."

Horatio entered the small condo, taking inventory of his surroundings as he was prone to do. Having been there himself; Horatio immediately recognized the furnishings of a recently divorced man – plain white walls, bomber brown leather couch, big screen television, heavy oak coffee table.

"What do you know?" Jack Collins demanded, startling Horatio.

"I'm sorry?"

"What do you know?" Jack repeated slowly.

"I know that Tony isn't home with his family and Lori was instructed to come get me," he explained, without really giving anything away.

Jack shook his head and scoffed. "Don't you mean _Tim_ isn't home and _Leanna_ was sent to get you?"

Horatio's azure eyes widened in complete shock. "How do you…" he stammered.

"I'm their handler," Jack answered, his tone cocky and condescending.

Horatio was immediately put-off. He'd suspected he wouldn't like Jack Collins, and his suspicions had just been confirmed. "Leanna said you didn't know anything about their previous lives."

"Leanna's been out of the agency too long," Collins grinned, "her skills are slipping."

Before Horatio could toss back a nasty reply, his cell phone rang at his hip. He reached for the offending device, tossing out a quick "excuse me," before answering it.

He was greeted with, "Where in the HELL do you get off leaving me here all alone?"

Horatio fought the grin threatening to erupt on his face. "Calleigh," he said softly, "calm down."

"Oh, shove it," the fiery blonde shot back, nearly screaming in his ear. "I come back from three perfectly _dandy_ days off to find that my lieutenant has jumped ship and left me in charge of four, count them, Horatio, FOUR murder investigations."

"Calleigh, you are quite capable…" he began.

"Where are you?" she demanded wearily.

Horatio could almost see her crossing her arms over her chest, probably balancing very precariously in an office chair with the phone receiver tucked under her chin while massaging her aching temples.

"New Orleans," he answered carefully.

"You better have one hell of an explanation," she warned.

"You have no idea," he replied, knowing full well he deserved everything she was throwing at him. He'd left her in charge without so much as a phone call. "I'll call you back in a few minutes and give you the details."

"I'm waiting with bated breath," she said haughtily before disconnecting.

He sighed and returned his attention to Jack. "Girlfriend?" Jack asked.

"No," Horatio explained quickly, "my second in command."

"She sounded as angry as any girlfriend I've encountered," Jack replied.

"I'll tell you that she reminds me a great deal of your wife," he countered.

"Enough said," Collins answered with a wave of his hand.

Horatio stretched his neck slightly and brought his hands to his hips. It was his fighting position, meant to intimidate whomever he was questioning. "How did you find out about Tim and Lea?" he demanded.

Jack shrugged and crossed his arms over his chest. "I'm a good investigator, Lieutenant. It didn't take much. Tim Speedle's picture was plastered over every newspaper in Dade County after he 'died'," he said, using his fingers to mimic quotation marks.

"Is that what the two of you fought about?" Horatio questioned.

Jack's features registered his surprise. "What are you talking about?"

"Leanna told me about the fight you and Tim had, right before you left your wife," he explained.

"No," Jack said, shaking his head. "No, we fought about something else that night."

"Would that be the woman you were seeing behind your wife's back?" Horatio accused, instantly regretting his outburst.

The agent grinned, answering, "My girlfriend, Tiffany. Yes, that's who we fought about."

Horatio eyed him suspiciously, wondering if Jack's answer might have been different had Horatio not volunteered any information at all. He decided not to pursue it any further, opting instead to change the subject. "How long have you know about Tim and Leanna?"

"Since shortly after they moved here," Jack explained, with a sly grin. "I make it a point to know as much about my protectees as possible."

The coldness in his tone and the icy glean in the agent's eyes made Horatio shiver involuntarily. Jack Collins was lying through his teeth and Horatio had no choice but to find out why.

TBC...


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer - I don't own the Miami characters - sadly, they belong to Jerry Bruckheimer and CBS. I do own Tim's wife and son, though and any other characters I might introduce as this little story progresses.

Rating – PG-13…..Lea is p-i-s-s-e-d!!! And our little southern belle apparently has no problem using bad language when she's angry!

Summary - Horatio finds one day that nothing is as he thought it was.

* * *

Horatio sat in the driver's seat of his rented black sedan, absent-mindedly fiddling with his sunglasses while he spoke to Calleigh.

"Cal?" he asked gently. He'd just told her that Tim was alive, that he'd been in Horatio's room just three nights before. Her reaction had been little more than stunned silence.

"I'm still here," she said quietly. "Horatio, I just..."

"I know," he responded, tossing the sunglasses onto the passenger seat and moving his hand over the leather of the steering wheel, imagining it to be the soft slope of Calleigh's shoulders.

"How?" she demanded, her voice slowly coming back to her, "how on earth is this possible?"

"I don't suppose you'd simply chalk it up to a miracle, for now?" he hoped aloud.

"Not likely," she responded with a snorted laugh.

He told her everything he knew - about Bruckson, Tim and Leanna's years in Witness Protection, Nicholas and Jack Collins. She listened quietly, allowing him to release three days of pent up frustration, anger and pure emotion before responding.

"Does Nicholas look like Tim?" she asked gently.

"Spitting image," he answered with a laugh.

"It's those good Irish genes of his," Calleigh sighed.

"So, am I forgiven for leaving you to run things?" he asked.

Calleigh laughed - the deep, throaty laugh he'd come to adore. "If you're nice to me _and_ you come home soon."

"I don't know," he teased, a grin spreading across his mouth, "there's a woman here who reminds me a great deal of you."

"Really?" Calleigh asked curiously. "Is she pretty?"

Horatio laughed softly at the tiny hint of jealousy in her tone. "Cal, no other woman in the world could be even half as beautiful as you are," he assured her.

"You flatter me," she said quietly. Horatio could hear her shifting in her chair, allowing herself the luxury of getting comfortable.

"Where are you?" he asked, closing his eyes in anticipation of her answer.

"Your office," she answered, her voice as soft as a whisper. Horatio imagined her twirling the phone cord around her finger as she spoke. "I thought maybe if I came up here, I could, I don't know, channel you."

He rested his head against the back of the seat. "Is it working?"

"No," Calleigh sighed again.

"I wish I could help."

"Horatio," she said tenderly, "you have enough on your plate right now. We're fine here, but thanks for the offer."

"Cal…" the desperation in his voice startled him, and he let the rest of his thought trail off unfinished.

"I know," she answered, knowing exactly what he wanted to say. "When you come home, we'll deal with this together. But until then, keep Tim safe, okay?"

"Of course," he said softly, disconnecting the phone and leaning back against the seat, shutting his eyes to rest for a moment. Horatio felt as though he'd aged ten years in the last three days. He was exhausted, mentally and physically, and yet, Calleigh's request had somehow energized him – if only a little.

He sighed…hoping to God he'd be able to keep his promise to Calleigh.

* * *

He knew he was taking a chance. What little remained in him of a rebel simply didn't care. For years now, he'd been a loyal husband and father, putting the needs of his family above his own at all times. He was quiet as he climbed the stairs, slowly shedding the anonymous blue exterminator's jumpsuit he wore over his clothes to prevent anyone recognizing him.

He turned the knob gently, avoiding the creak that he knew would wake her if he pushed the door open too quickly. For a moment, he simply watched her – the gentle, even rise and fall of her breathing as she slept, her hair cascading over the ivory pillowcase. His eyes drifted down her body, remembering how soft her skin felt beneath his fingers, how sweet it tasted to his lips.

He groaned – the memory more than he handle. He hadn't realized how much he needed her, loved her, until he was forced to be without her. He crossed over to the bed, stepping on the heels of his shoes to remove them. He had one hand on the bed, preparing to lower himself down beside her when she spoke.

"You've got a helluva a lot of explaining to do, Speedle."

He grinned – and she didn't return his smile. "It's not nice to startle your husband like that, Lea. I thought you were asleep," he teased.

He'd mistakenly thought she'd be happy to see him. He couldn't have been more wrong.

Leanna bolted upright on the bed, her cheeks flushed with anger. "You sorry son of a…." she yelled, grabbing a pillow and smacking him upside the head with it.

Before he could react, she was on top of him, beating him with the pillow. He rested back on the bed, as much as he could; allowing her to get the anger out of her system. "I thought you were dead, you bastard!"

"Baby," he said in a feeble attempt to calm her while he tried to sit up.

"Don't you 'Baby' me, you asshole!" she answered, forcefully shoving him back down on the bed. "Do you have ANY idea what I've been going through this last week? No, of course you don't, because you haven't BEEN here!" She smacked him once more with the pillow before crawling off him.

She turned her back on him as her tears began to fall, and Tim's heart simply broke. He scooted in behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his chin on her shoulder. "Lea," he said lovingly, inhaling the intoxicating scent of her vanilla shampoo mixed with her lavender body lotion, "I've got to end this thing with Bruckson, once and for all."

Leanna scoffed and swiped at her eyes with the back of her hand. "Oh yeah, that's an _utterly_ brilliant idea. Let's see, I've been out of the bureau for five years. You've been cooped up in a lab for five years. You haven't shot a gun in five years, Tim. And you were never that good at it in the first place."

"Wow," he laughed, "that was pretty cruel, babe."

"Yeah, well, I'm not feeling an overwhelming urge to be _nice_ to you at the moment," she shot back angrily. Then she turned in his arms and glared at him, shoving him down on the mattress again. "And for that matter, where in HELL have you been?"

"Around," he answered vaguely, grabbing the front of her hooded blue jacket and pulling her down on top of him. His lips found their way to her neck and he tasted her skin for the first time in what felt like years.

He knew his wife well enough to know that while she was allowing him to caress her, Leanna was really plotting her next move, but he didn't care, at least until her knee slipped between his legs. "If you want more kids, you won't even think about it," he warned, whispering into her ear.

"I'm not even sure I want to be in the same room with you at the moment. My ending our sex life isn't much of a threat," she sneered. She tried to push herself away from him, but Tim's grip on her waist was too strong.

"Let go of me," she said through clenched teeth.

"Sorry," he replied, shaking his head playfully, "can't do that."

"And why the hell not?" she demanded, struggling against the strength of his arms.

"Because I love you more than anything or anyone on the planet, and I want to hold my wife, and make love to you like you've never been made love to before," he answered.

The passion behind his dark eyes both scared and thrilled her. "And you think I'm just going to let you do that, after everything you've put me through?"

She was still very angry with him, but he had her, he knew, the second she began moving her hips lightly over his growing erection, torturing him.

"Yes," he grinned, finally releasing his grip on her and tracing his fingers down her sides.

"Bastard," she whispered half-heartedly, melting into his touch, his kisses along her neck.

TBC…..


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer - I don't own the Miami characters - sadly, they belong to Jerry Bruckheimer and CBS. I do own Tim's wife and son, though and any other characters I might introduce as this little story progresses.

Rating – PG

Summary - Horatio finds one day that nothing is as he thought.

* * *

Eric Delko sat in his department-issued Hummer, tapping his fingers nervously against the steering wheel as he waited for a light to turn green. Just a little more than two hours ago, he'd been sure of a few things in his life - he loved his job, loved his girlfriend even more and was ready to propose to her. He'd been sure he'd lost his best friend in the world five years earlier - on the floor of a jewelry store in downtown Miami.

But Calleigh had just put his entire life into a tailspin with three small words, "Tim is alive." She hadn't asked him to go to New Orleans, and he hadn't asked her permission. He simply accepted Tim and Leanna's address from Calleigh and drove home to pack a bag. Now, he was turning into the long-term parking lot at Miami Dade International, anticipating the plane ticket that was waiting for him at the counter.

What would he do when he saw Speed for the first time? Part of him wanted to deck the bastard for putting them all through this nightmare. The other part of him wanted to gather his best friend in his arms, and hug him until neither had any air left in their lungs. His emotions ran the gambit from intense anger to gratefulness and back again.

He pulled into an empty parking spot and shut the Hummer off. He rested back in his seat and sighed. What would he do when he saw Tim Speedle again?

* * *

Horatio used the extra key Leanna had given him to open the kitchen door and step inside. The house was quiet and he assumed Leanna might be taking a nap. She'd told him earlier that morning that she was taking Nicholas to pre-school and then had some errands to run. He dropped his keys on the baker's rack near the door and opened the refrigerator door to pull out one of Tim's cold beers. 

He pulled the tab to open the beer, and was about to take a sip when he heard something. A low, deep, throaty groan. A chill ran down his spine. It went without saying that Leanna's voice wasn't that deep. It was a man's voice - and when he heard it again, he unholstered his gun from his side. With precision and years of training, he took the stairs leading to the second floor quietly, pausing just outside the door to Tim and Leanna's bedroom.

One hand was on the doorknob, ready to throw the door open and kill the intruder when he heard Leanna's voice. "God, Tim!" she cried out.

"Let it go, baby," Horatio heard him answer passionately, "just let go."

Horatio shook his head and would have laughed if his heart hadn't been racing nine hundred miles an hour. He leaned back against the wall before making his way back downstairs.

* * *

"Did you hear that?" Tim whispered. 

Leanna shook her head, a sleepy, satisfied grin crossing her face. "Can't hear, can't feel my toes..."

Tim rolled away from her and pulled on his boxer shorts. He dug a small key out of Leanna's jewelry box and used it to open the nightstand drawer. He took out his gun, sliding the clip located in the second drawer into the bottom of the nine-millimeter pistol.

"Lea, stay here," he commanded.

"Sex suddenly turns you into Rambo?" she teased, shrugging into her robe. "Give me the gun, Tim."

"What?" he asked incredulously.

"Oh please," she said with an eye roll, holding her open palm out to him. "You want me to break out the statistics for how many times I've been shot versus how many times you've been shot?"

Tim narrowed his eyes at his wife. "What makes you so damned sure I cleaned it?"

"Cause I'd kick your sorry ass if you ever tried that again," she explained with a shrug.

Tim opened the bedroom door slowly, instinctively holding one arm out to shield Leanna as the two made their way downstairs. He kept the gun trained in front of him, his eyes sweeping the familiar hallways and rooms of his own, preparing himself to come face to face with Bruckson, or worse.

"Don't shoot, it's just me," Tim heard Horatio say from the kitchen. The couple made their way into the doorway to find Horatio grinning at them.

"You damn near gave me a heart attack, H," Tim complained, leaning against the doorframe.

"No more than you gave me earlier," Horatio shot back, eyeing his former protege's attire - or lack thereof. "I'm not speaking to you until you go put some clothes on."

"Ha, Ha, Ha," Tim laughed sarcastically before making his way back upstairs.

"What did you find out?" Leanna asked, opening the refrigerator door and taking out a bottle of water.

"Jack Collins is an ass," Horatio said, shaking his head with dismay.

Leanna laughed. "I could have told you that."

"He knows everything, Lea," Horatio sighed, "everything."

She didn't look as shocked as he thought he should - she looked more like she'd known all along and was hiding it from him. "Leanna?" he demanded.

Leanna scratched her forehead and took a deep breath. "I suspected that he did. I had nothing to prove it, and Tim categorically denied it over and over. There was just something about him I couldn't trust."

"Your instincts were always good, Lea." He glared at her. "Is there anything else you've been keeping from me?"

Leanna's eyes darted to the floor. "I think Jack's a mole."

Horatio smiled softly - he'd already reached the same conclusion. Jack Collins was in on this - somehow, someway. "And he said your skills were slipping."

Her green eyes went wide with anger. "If I ever get my hands on that jerk..."

"What jerk?" Tim asked, coming back into the kitchen clad in a t-shirt and blue jeans. He took the cordless phone from its base near the built-in desk and tossed it to Leanna. "Call Shelby and ask her to go get Nick from school, and invite her and the kids over to dinner."

Lea eyed her husband suspiciously. "You're staying?"

"Yup," Tim answered casually, taking down a large pot from the rack above the stove. He sat it down on one of the burners while Horatio and Leanna both continued to gape at him. He ignored them and opened the freezer, sorting through several packages before turning to Leanna. "Baby, where's the veal I bought last week?"

"What are you up to?" Horatio demanded angrily.

Tim smiled. He remembered how much his boss hated being left out of the loop. He had a plan, and he thought it was a good one.

"Tim," Leanna said softly, swallowing the lump in her throat, "isn't it going to be dangerous for you to stay here?"

Tim turned his attention back to the freezer. "Where's the veal, Lea?"

Her eyes nervously scanned the tile floor, as if it might be able to give her some answers. Horatio watched her take a deep breath before crossing over to her husband. "Here," she said quietly, reaching past him and taking the package of veal off the second shelf.

Tim caught her arm as she tried to pull away. "Baby," he whispered just loud enough for her to hear, "I know what I'm doing."

"I'm glad _you_ do," she shot back, tears filling her eyes. She took the phone with her as she fled the kitchen. It sounded as if she took the stairs two at a time, the way she stormed up them before slamming the bedroom door.

"Speed," Horatio said in a warning tone. "I'm going to ask you one more time. What are you up to?"

"Now that you're here, and I have some backup, I'm getting this thing over, once and for all," he explained.

"How is Jack Collins involved in this?" Horatio demanded.

"Fucking traitor," Tim laughed bitterly as he unwrapped the veal. "The one time in five years I allow myself to have a friend, and this is what happens. Bruckson's goons got to him. They figured out that he had a woman on the side, and was in debt up to his eyeballs - trying to keep Shelby from finding out about Tiffany. They offered him a shit-load of money to give me up."

"Bail him out for giving up his protectee," Horatio shook his head with angrily. "Some friend."

"Quite possibly the understatement of the century, H." Tim reached up and selected a skillet; then set it gently on the counter.

Leanna re-emerged from upstairs, clad once again in the blue running suit she'd been wearing earlier. Both men could tell she'd been crying, although she'd thrown some cold water on her face to reduce the puffiness. Tim swallowed hard as he looked at his wife. The last thing in the world he wanted to do was to hurt her.

"Shelby and the kids will be here in about thirty minutes," she said quietly, setting the phone back in the cradle and breezing past Tim. She sat down at the kitchen table and pulled her legs up against her. "You maybe wanna fill me in, Speedle? It's just, you know, my life, and our kids' lives your playing around with here."

"Kids?" Horatio asked curiously.

Tim glared at Leanna - who gasped and looked away. She hadn't meant to say that, but she was angry and it just came out. No one knew yet - not even Shelby.

"Lea's about nine weeks pregnant, H," Tim said softly, dropping a pat of butter into the skillet and turning the burner on.

"And you think now is the best time to be going after Bruckson?" Horatio demanded, his eyes steely and angry.

Tim didn't hesitate to return the look. "I wasn't given a hell of a lot of choice in the matter."

The two stared each other down before Horatio finally broke eye contact. He titled his face toward the ceiling and shook his head in disappointment.

Tim was the first one to speak. "Shelby will be here soon, H. I need for you to call Calleigh and make some arrangements. I need for the girls to go to Miami, where they'll be safe."

TBC...


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer - I don't own the Miami characters - sadly, they belong to Jerry Bruckheimer and CBS. I do own Tim's wife and son, though and any other characters I might introduce as this little story progresses.

Rating – PG

Summary - Horatio finds one day that nothing is as he thought.

A/N - Many, many thanks tomy friend Nathalie (better known as Hgirl) for reading the last two chapters and giving me, not only her support, but confidence and some amazingly wonderful comments...

* * *

Shelby Collins hopped out of her Ford Expedition and shut the driver's side door so that she could help Nicholas out of his car seat while her three children unbuckled themselves and got out of the car. She took Nicholas's tiny hand in her own and grabbed her youngest son, Brendan's hand with the other. She led the four kids through the garage and up to the kitchen door.

"Yoo-hoo!" she called out brightly, "Lori, honey, we're here." Lori was sitting at the kitchen table, her eyes red and puffy and Shelby knew instantly her best friend had been crying. Her own eyes narrowed in concern as she watched Nicholas tear past his mother.

She glanced over to find Tony stooped down by the stove, ready to welcome his son into his arms. "Tony, you crazy boy," she teased, stepping over to hug him as he stood, "when did you get home?"

"This afternoon," he grinned, kissing her cheek lightly while balancing Nick on his hip. "I'm making veal to thank you for taking such good care of my family while I was away."

"Psshhh," Shelby waved him off and rolled her eyes. "We're family, darlin'. It wasn't anything family doesn't do for one another. But it would be beyond rude to turn down one of Tony Spears' dinner creations, so I will simply say, you're welcome."

She stepped over to where Lori still sat at the table, looking pale, weak, and scared. She kissed the top of Lori's dark head and rubbed her shoulder. "You gonna tell me what the hell is going on?" she whispered.

"Oh, you're about to get an earful," Lori said cryptically, pulling Shelby's daughter Alanna onto her lap.

Nicholas was chatting happily with his father while perched on the counter next to the stove. Tony was searing the tender meat in the pan, standing between the flame and his son, nodding approvingly and saying "uh-huh", in just the right spots. She watched father and son wistfully, wishing that just once, Jack could have paid the kind of attention to his kids that Tony always paid to Nicholas.

She made her way over to Horatio, resting her arms on the counter near the stool where he sat. The red head's expression was tense, matching perfectly the tone in the room. If Shelby hadn't been so worried about what was going on, she might have made a crack about needing a knife to cut the tension.

"You wanna tell me what the hell is going on around here?" she whispered to Horatio.

"In due time, my dear," he replied with a sad smile, "all in due time."

The four adults struggled to keep the conversation during dinner light. Tony asked the kids about the past few days at school while Shelby asked Horatio about life in Miami. They cleaned up the kitchen after sending the kids upstairs to play. Tony suggested they retire into the living room with a glass of the wine he'd picked up in Washington.

Lori and Shelby settled onto opposite ends of the sofa, sharing a chenille blanket they draped over their legs. Tony sat on the leather ottoman, close to the two women. Horatio stood near the entertainment center - leaving Shelby to wonder if this was the same stance he took when interrogating a suspect.

"Shelby," Tony spoke first, "we have some things we need to talk to you about."

"What's that lousy-ass husband of mine done now?" Shelby asked with an irritated roll of her eyes. Lord, she thought, she was going to be glad to be rid of that man once and for all.

"It's funny you should mention that," Tony sighed. He turned to Horatio, who handed him a thick manila file. Tony passed it to Shelby.

"What's this?" she asked curiously. She glanced over at Lori, but the younger woman looked away.

"It's my FBI file," Tony explained. "We aren't who you think we are, Shelby. My real name is Tim Speedle, and I was a detective, a crime scene investigator, in Miami Dade County. I met Lori, who's real name is Leanna Clark Speedle about eight years ago, when we worked a case together. We fell in love and planned to get married. Horatio," he said, pointing over his shoulder with his thumb, "is not only my friend, he was my boss."

"I don't understand," Shelby said quietly, her voice cracking with the overwhelming sense of dread she was suddenly feeling.

"Shortly after I met Lea, evidence that I uncovered at a crime scene was instrumental in putting away one of Miami's most notorious mob bosses - a guy named Martin Bruckson. Bruckson had his hand in a little bit of everything in Miami - clubs, restaurants, gambling, race horses. He offered to pay me a quarter of a million dollars to overlook the evidence against him. Conveniently lose it, or contaminate it, he didn't care, as long as I blew the case. Obviously, I couldn't do that."

"So this guy is after you?" she asked, shaking her head as if the simple motion would help sift this overload of information into her brain.

He nodded. "I testified in court, Bruckson threatened me, but I was too hard-headed to believe he might be serious. Things quieted down for a few years, and then the threats became more specific. There were pictures of Leanna and I together. Then, she was suddenly kidnapped."

"Oh my God," Shelby breathed out, instinctively reaching out to take Leanna's hand. A cold shiver shot down her spine. She simply couldn't believe what she was being told. It was like of the mystery novels she loved to read - only stranger, and real.

A sudden knock on the kitchen door startled them all. Tim and Horatio looked at each other with tense expressions. Horatio nod in the general direction of the stairway and Tim took off to gather the children. Horatio unholstered his gun and headed for the kitchen.

The banging continued, and Horatio opened the door to find an extremely agitated Eric on the other side. "Where is he?" the younger man demanded, pushing past his boss.

Leanna and Shelby hung back in the doorway to the den, Leanna standing protectively in front of her best friend.

"Lea," Eric said coldly.

"Eric," Leanna said softly. She turned to Shelby. "Shelby, I'd like you to meet my husband's best friend, Eric Delko. Eric, this is my friend and neighbor, Shelby Collins."

"Nice to meet you," Eric said half-heartedly. "Where is he?" he demanded again.

They all turned in the direction of the stairwell as Tim reappeared. "I'm right here, Delko."

Eric stepped up to his long-lost friend, shaking his head. No one was sure what was going to happen next. Eric's fists where clenched and he swallowed hard, visibly blinking back tears. "I don't know whether to hug you or beat the shit out of you."

Tim grinned brightly. "Well, whatever, man, but don't say 'shit'. I've got a three year old for Christ's sake and I don't want the first thing his Uncle Eric teaches him to be 'shit'."

The younger man shook his head and grabbed Tim, pulling him into a tight embrace. For Shelby, the entire exchange was surreal. Tony or Tim, whatever his name was, had just been telling her this unbelievable tale, and now, standing in front of her, was his long lost best friend. The two men embraced one another, pounding each other on the back as men seem to do, before finally releasing one another.

"I swear to God, man, I'm never letting you out of my sight again," Eric nearly cried.

"Well, there's a promise I'm not in any hurry for you to keep," Tim shot back.

"So, what are we doing here?" Eric turned his attention to Horatio. "Cal said you were gonna help him end this mess."

"That's just what we were explaining to Shelby," Horatio answered, motioning for all of them to return to the living room.

They all returned to their previous spots, with Eric now leaning against the doorframe. Tim waited for everyone to get comfortable again before continuing. "Lea's partner was allowed to go undercover to Bruckson as a mole. He said he'd give me up in order to get Leanna back."

Shelby reached for Leanna's hand again, then nod for Tim to continue. "Thomas told Bruckson's goons about a case he was working on - they 'arranged' for an informant's child to be kidnapped. The kid was never in any real danger," he added when Shelby gasped. "Some fake jewels were passed as a ransom, the informant was killed. That led Horatio and I to the jewelry store and..."

Tim swallowed hard and looked away, seemingly staring out into space as the thought trailed off.

"You were killed?" Shelby asked weakly.

"That's what everyone was allowed to think, yeah," Tim answered softly. "We got Leanna back and she and I went underground immediately. We were in a safe house in Atlanta by the time my funeral was held."

"How," Shelby demanded, her pent-up tears finally rolling down her cheeks, "how do you pull something like that off?"

"The how isn't important, Shelby," Horatio took over, "Tim and Leanna have been made again, and we think your husband might be involved."

"What?" she asked incredulously, shaking her head, "no, no, Jack's an idiot, and a liar and a cheat, but he would never...Tony was his friend. They are...our family."

"You weren't supposed to find out about Tiffany," Tim explained. "It's part of what they were hanging over his head. Your divorce isn't being held up because Jack doesn't want you to get your hands on his family's money, it's being held up because there is no money."

Shelby looked to her best friend for support. Leanna dug another file out from beneath the end table and handed it to Shelby. "He spent almost three million dollars over five years, keeping Tiffany living in high style, all the while, maintaining your lifestyle."

Shelby examined the bank records Leanna had handed her. "He was bought by the men who want to kill you?"

"We think so, yeah," Tim said softly.

Shelby brought a hand up to her mouth and stifled a sob. She closed her eyes briefly before opening them again. "So, what do we do now?" she asked, her resolve set.

TBC...


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer - I don't own the Miami characters - sadly, they belong to Jerry Bruckheimer and CBS. I do own Tim's wife and son, though and any other characters I might introduce as this little story progresses.

Rating - PG

Summary - Horatio finds one day that nothing is as he thought it was. Although some characters named can be found in my other stories, this one is completely independent of anything else and stands alone.

* * *

"Miller? Collins. Speedle is back in town." Jack took a swig of beer; then set it down on the counter with a thud. 

"How do you know this?" Miller demanded from the other end of the phone line.

Jack Collins smiled. "My wife called. She's taking my kids and Speedle's kid out of town for the weekend."

"What about the cop friend?"

Jack shook his head. "Caught a plane back to Miami this morning."

Miller was quiet for a moment. "Stay by the phone. Mr. Bruckson will call you soon."

Jack disconnected and smiled again – already counting his money in his mind.

* * *

Tim loaded the last of Nicholas and Leanna's suitcases into Shelby's Expedition and secured the back door. Leanna was outside the vehicle, chewing on her thumbnail, as he knew she was prone to do in high stress situations. 

He gathered his wife in his arms and immediately felt her hot tears through the thin fabric of his shirt. "No crying," he scolded gently. "This is supposed to look like you and Shelby are taking the kids for a weekend away."

"I'm scared," she said weakly, burying her nose in the crook of his neck, breathing in his scent and praying it wasn't the last time she'd be in his arms.

Tim swallowed hard and tightened his grip on her waist. "Me too, baby," he answered softly, bringing one hand up to her hair. "Me too."

He pulled away from her grasp and pretended to study her face. "What?" she demanded curiously, cocking an eyebrow at him.

Speed laughed. "Nothing," he answered with a grin; then took a lock of her hair in his hand. "Will you do something for me?"

"Anything," she replied honestly.

"If this works, and we're free," he began, "I wouldn't mind having a red-headed wife again by the time I get to Miami."

Leanna closed her eyes to the tears threatening to fall. She swallowed hard and looked him in the eye. "Red it is, Mr. Speedle."

He took her into his arms again. "I'm going to spend the next few nights fantasizing about your hair."

Leanna laughed as she disentangled herself from his embrace. "You're weird," was all she could manage as she stepped onto the running board and took her seat in the Expedition.

Tim watched helplessly as the vehicle backed down the driveway. He waved as Shelby maneuvered onto the road and took off. He waited until he couldn't see them anymore before making his way into the house.

Eric was at the kitchen table, cleaning a variety of weaponry. Speed didn't ask whether the ammunition had come from and Eric didn't volunteer the information.

"This one is yours," Delko said flatly, pointing a nine-millimeter handgun at Speed, handle first. "I cleaned it…_personally._"

Speed opened his mouth to retaliate, but thought better after seeing Eric's stern expression.

"It's not funny," Eric continued, staring his best friend down. "You died once for Christ's sake. You're not doing it again because you are incapable of cleaning your gun."

"I'm not incapable," Speed argued, "it was just never very high on my list of priorities."

"Well, it's high on mine. Do you have any idea what Alexx is going to do to H and I if we don't bring you home alive?"

Tim smiled mischievously. "H said he had to bring me back in one piece. You only want to bring me back alive. What's up with that, man?"

Eric threw a box of bullets at him. "H is _optimistic_. I'm _realistic_."

"Gentlemen," Horatio scolded as he made his way into the kitchen. In reality, though, he was delighting in the pair's banter, not realizing until that moment quite how much he'd missed it. He tossed a file onto the table and opened it. "Jack's been a bad, bad boy."

"Excellent," Speed answered, scanning the file carefully. The FBI log inside the file was a transcript of Jack Collins' conversation with a man named "Miller". It occurred less than 10 minutes after Shelby had called Jack about the last-minute trip. "He told this Miller guy you caught a plane back to Miami."

Horatio smiled. "Mmm…I guess I'm a better actor than I thought."

Tim's cell phone rang at his hip. He glanced at the caller ID and grinned before answering. "How is my favorite Bullet Girl today?"

Calleigh choked back a sob. "I can't believe I'm talking to you!" she exclaimed.

"I've missed you, Cal," he said quietly. He closed his eyes and tried to picture what Calleigh looked like – five years after the last time he'd seen her.

"Gawd, Tim…you just don't even know….Alexx and I are still in shock…I mean one minute you're dead and the next minute you're alive…and you have a _child_…" she rambled.

"Doubting my abilities as a father already?" he teased.

He heard the grin in her voice as she answered. "Of course not. I'm warning though, when I get my hands on that little boy in…." Tim heard a rustle of fabric and imagined that Calleigh was probably checking her watch, "…four hours and thirty-eight minutes, you may never see him again. I'm just warning you."

He laughed. "You said that already. What else you got for us?"

"My, my, aren't we impatient? Someone might think you'd been dead for five years or something," she shot back.

"Ha, ha, ha," Timanswered sarcastically.

"Bruckson," she began with the sweet Southern drawl Speed had always adored, "boarded a privately chartered jet this morning. Wanna guess where it was going?"

"Gee, I don't know, New Orleans?" he deadpanned.

"Wow," she teased, "you should be a detective or something."

"Okay, that's really enough taunting," he replied somewhat irritably.

Calleigh snorted a reply. "Whatever. I have five years to make up for, so get used to it. But, since you are clearly reverting back to your cranky self…there were a total of three passengers on the flight, not counting the crew."

"So that puts two of Bruckson's men in the air and at least one on the ground," Speed surmised aloud.

"If the odds stay 3-2, you could have yourselves a fair fight," Calleigh replied.

Tim's forehead crinkled in confusion. "Where are you getting 3-2? Bruckson has two men with him, another here, that's three; then there's me, Delko and H. That's 3-3."

Calleigh laughed again. "Please, Horatio's not going to let you anywhere near any place you could _possibly_ need a gun. None of us want to re-live the last time you had a gun in your hands, Tim."

He rolled his eyes and massaged his temples with his free hand. "Done yet?"

"For the moment," she answered sweetly. "Take care of each other. All three of you. I mean it. I love all of you way too much to lose any of you. Do you hear me, Speedle?"

Tim's head fell back from sheer exhaustion and he took a deep breath. "Loud and clear, Cal."

TBC…


End file.
